Sky's Branding

There shouldn't be any great technical obstacles in replacing SD channels with their HD equivalents, that is already done on Sky Italia and on US satellite platforms.

The obstacles appear to be mostly commercial. As long as Sky sells HD as an add-on, the channels will not want to loose out on costumers who have an HD box, but no HD subscription. Hopefully that will be sorted out soon, at least for the non-terrestrial versions. It getting increasingly ridiculous to have one bad version at the top of the EPG, and one good way down.

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It would be a shame to see Sky1's identity go so early. It looks great and is only two years old. But perhaps they feel that it wont fit the channel after the reshuffling. Many of the idents seem to focus on US drama, and if they all go to Sky Atlantic, they may have to rebrand.

As for the Living idents, I don't really care. Its not really something worth remembering. Just another ident package from the Red Bee factory.

Has anyone found any information about what is happening to Sky2 and Sky3? Are they closing them, or simply moving them to 112 and 113?

We still don't know what's happening to LivingIt and Living Loves, as well as Sky 3 (I presume Sky 2 will retain the +1/mix schedule it has already)

Does anyone think Sky will rebrand Challenge also to give it a Sky... name?

Sky2 operating as a +1 channel for Sky1 was just a month long experiment earlier this year.

It operates a normal schedule now.

Are you aware of any of Sky1's current slate of US dramas going to Atlantic?

I thought Atlantic was for the more upmarket cable shows and the network stuff would still be on Sky1.

It'd make sense for them to rename Challenge if they're going to rename Living, but I think the channel is long due for a rebrand anyway. It's smelt of cheap for the past few years now.

Programmes from Living, LivingIt and Bravo have been added to SkyPlayer according to an email I was sent this morning.

Hmmm... odd that Bravo features given it's for the chop?

Perhaps most of its programming will find a new home on the other stations.

I assume Bravo and Channel One aren't closing until at least the launch of Sky Atlantic, and until then there are runs of shows that are new to both channels to end. V, on Channel One, is due to end on 27/12.

I only use the Sky Player through the Xbox, so I can't speak for the website - but Living and Bravo have been on Sky Player for ages in terms of streaming haven't they? I know Video on Demand from both of those have been on since about February/March time as the first season of Cougar Town was on there

Apparently the announcer mentioned at the end of the last episode of Bones on Sky1 that it will return on Living in the new year, so there's some further shuffling of programmes between the channels going on.

Sky Movies has edited its idents with a different logo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJeLFmBU20w

Hate. It.

Also I don't really understand the point. It weakens both the logo and overall elegance of the branding to add that awful rectangle with all its gradients.

Perhaps they want to be more consistent and use the same logo in the idents as they already do online and in ads.

A shot from that Youtube video:
http://i55.tinypic.com/98ccw9.jpg